


Ribbons

by Wayward_Dragon



Category: W.I.T.C.H.
Genre: Angst, CHYKN elaboration, Canonical Character Death, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Gen, Oneshot, implied kadma/halinor, inspired by a series of analyisis things on tumblr, sailor moon is referenced once
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 06:55:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6601189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wayward_Dragon/pseuds/Wayward_Dragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yan Lin is called for the passing of the guard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ribbons

Yan Lin's room was very neat and clean. Books were put away, clothes folded and out of sight, bed made.  
Her end-table had a lamp, a stale glass of water, and a wooden decorative jewelry box. It was nothing out of the ordinary for a grandmother.  
The ceramic knife under her mattress was slightly less ordinary, and the reason it was there even moreso.  
There were a lot of entities that were Aware of the Guardians and didn't want the last true one still breathing.

Yan Lin walked into her room, closing the door behind her. A few seconds ago she felt a tingling pulse that stayed in her joints and Knew that Kanrakar called to bid her presence once more.

  
With a shaky breath, her thin hands swept the wooden box open and fumbled at the fake bottom to retrieve the key hidden within. Then she strode to a painted cabinet that looked like any other in the house ( _unless you could spot the runes engraved on the edges of the doors_ ) and started opening and unlocking. At the third lock she paused and said a word quietly under her breath, to which the final lock glowed. Using the key on that last lock, she retrieved a small wooden box much like the one on her nightstand.  
She stroked a thumb down the side, looking sad for a moment. Then she took another shaky breath and flipped it open.

The box was almost identical to the one on her nightstand but instead of her name engraved rather messily on the inner lip, it was ‘CASSIDY’( _both bought at a discount store on a whim_ ).  
Inside the box was a faded and yellowing photograph, some threadbare ribbons in pink and turquoise, a folded piece of well-worn sheet music, and an amulet that necessitated all these locks on.

  
They were all Kandrakar had left of the friends she had lost.

  
She remembered the day the picture was taken, Halinor smiling and asking ' _please?_ ' in that tone she used only for Kadma and Kadma predictably caving and she said _alright but only this once_ and Nerissa payed for the man to take it and pulled them all close. Cassidy grinning and full of life and her arm around Nerissa's waist and her hand clasped in Yan Lin's own. None of them wore anything spectacular, Cassidy had ribbons in her hair like usual( _the same ones in the box_ ) and Kadma was as conservatively dressed as she always was( _the dark high-waisted skirt she probably still had, considering she wore it to Halinor's funeral eight years back_ ), Nerissa had one of those ridiculous hats Yan Lin kind of always hated.

  
She doesn't touch the music sheet, its notes haunt her sleep enough without her refreshing her memory about it.  
Shaking her head and dismissing the snapshot of her in her younger days ( _her friends happy and whole and not -broken on the side of the cliff too still and red everywhere in the snow but still breathing and shakily shoving the Heart and some ribbons into her hands, Nerissa sobbing and pleading and screaming while Halinor runs toward her yelling, sparks flying from fingers-_ ) she picked up the required trinket and closed the box, putting it back into place.  
Sending a spark to the crystal in her hands( _it was deceptively dull blue and glasslike, the dust of disuse turning it a bit milky_ ), it suddenly looked shiny-new once more and its inner depths sparked alive for a moment.  
Quickly making a twisting motion and stepping forward, she Folded through space-time and walked another step. Thousands of lightyears warped around her and she took another.

She opened her eyes and the bright splendor of Kandrakar greeted her.  
There were few reasons that she should be here at her age. None were particularly nice ( _either things are very very wrong in the universe and *she* has to fight, or new guardians are being chosen and her granddaughter was just so small and young-_ )

Guards escorted her down the halls to the Congregation.  
Full council.  
Definitely new Guardians.

With a heavy heart she walked to the ageless bald man in the center of the room. He smiled and greeted her and told her what she already knew. She nodded and held out the crystal to him. He said words to the council and Yan Lin did not hear them, she was too busy running over what she would do when she got back home to her pretty lie of a life( _what she would say when she condemns her grandaughter to years of fighting to live -to kill for the 'good' of Kandrakar_ ).  
The ritual to bestow power on it once more was long and flashy and Yan Lin could feel her element draining away ( _-bleeding like Cassidy too fast to save, speared on rocks and bones shattered-_ ) as she steadied herself and took the crystal back.

The Oracle told her the names and smiled placidly and told her how she should be proud that her grandaughter has this fine honor to fight for Kandrakar.  
Yan Lin very much wished to stuff the crystal down his throat, but she smiled and nodded even as Luba snarled about children having no place in battle behind her and some of the congregation murmured over her outburst( _she only wished she could speak out like that, like Halinor, like Kadma_ ).  
He bid her farewell and all but told her he would collect her for good soon and that she should get her affairs in order as she faded into her world, time restarting around her once more.

  
Only then did she allow herself to quietly stop holding back the tears.  
After a few minuets to mourn, she put the crystal away again and decided she would visit Kadma in a day or two for tea. The contents of its now temporary home would be a good appeasing gesture to the only person who would know who they were supposed to belong to( _Kandrakar didnt leave memories of them to anyone who wasnt a magic-user. Kadma was so horribly upset when she found out_ )

Drying her eyes she wandered downstairs to find Hay Lin hugging a couch pillow to her chest during the final dregs of a popular cartoon. Her throat closed up for a moment and she pauses( _God it hurt to know for certain what would happen, and her **friends** too, and two other girls_ ).  
The cartoon showed a pretty girl vanquishing some monster with magic. No one hurt but evil. Everything alright in the end.

( _Tell that to Halinor, mad with grief and lashing out at a teacher who condescendingly implied that she didnt do anything important and getting detention in the last week of senior year, tell that to Cassidy dead on the mountain with no grave alone and forgotten, tell that to Kadma who is unable to ever let go or forget how many people she killed and the friends she lost, tell that to Nerissa imprisoned for eternity alone and bitter and mad and only wanting to watch the universe **burn,** tell that to the many Replacements for them who died so fast despite being actually **trained** -_)

  
She walked over to Hay Lin and gently ruffled her hair, getting laughter and a smile in return.  
She resolved to make something nice for dinner. Bust out the expensive plates ( _She’d tell any who asked that it was a day that reminded her of an old friend_ ).

What else could she do?

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted on tumblr


End file.
